A Newly Discovered Rock-Cut Tomb from the Eastern Roman Empire: Human and Animal Remains from Cemi-i Çeto, SiirtKurtalan, Southeastern Anatolia, Turkiye
Ayşe Acar, Abu B. SiddiqThe 2019 archaeological excavations carried out at the Cem-i Çeto caves, situated approximately 2 km southwest of Konakpınar village in the Kurtalan district of Siirt province, revealed the presence of three Late Roman rock-cut tombs. This study presents the initial bioarchaeological analysis of human and animal bones unearthed from rock-cut tomb number 6. The primary goal of this investigation was to gain insights into the social structure of the Cem-i Çeto community by assessing population demographics, life expectancy, stature, lifestyle, and comparisons with other contemporary Anatolian communities. The secondary objective involves conducting fundamental zooarchaeological examinatiıns of animal remains recovered alongside human skeletal remains. A total of 116 human bones and a small collectiıon of animal bones (n = 61) were identified. The Cem-i Çeto human population comprises five infants, 45 children, 26 females, 31 males, and 9 individuals of unknown gender. Infant and child mortalities accounted for 43.10% of the population. The average height of the Cem-i Çeto population stands at 164.01 cm. Zooarchaeological analysis has facilitated the identification of various animal species, including dogs, foxes, sheep, goats, cattle, horses, rabbits, and birds among the faunal remains. Interestingly, the presence of a limited number of animal bones, representing a variety of species, interspersed with a larger quantity of human bones within a rock-cut tomb raises novel inquiries regarding the Late Roman burial customs in the region.
Doğu Roma'nın Doğusunda Yeni Bir Kaya Mezar: Güneydoğu Anadolu Siirt-Kurtalan Cemi-i Çeto İnsan ve Hayvan Kalıntıları
Ayşe Acar, Abu B. SiddiqSiirt İli, Kurtalan İlçesi, Konakpınar Köyünün yaklaşık 2 km güneybatısında dağın yamacında yer alan Cem-i Çeto Mağaraları, kaya mezar alanında 2019 yılında yapılan 6 no’lu kaya mezardan elde edilen insan ve hayvan kemikleri üzerine ilk biyoarkeolojik analizleri sunmaktadır. Çalışmanın temel amacı, Cem-i Çeto toplumunun biyolojik uzaklığı, nüfus yapısı, boy uzunluğu ve yaşam biçimini değerlendirerek toplumsal yapının anlaşılması ve bununla beraber Anadolu’da yaşamış diğer çağdaş topluluklarla karşılaştırılmasıdır. İnsan kemikleri ile birlikte ortaya çıkarılan hayvan kemiklerinin temel zooarkeolojik değerlendirilmesi ise çalışmanın diğer amacıdır. Toplumda, 116 bireye ait insan kalıntıları ile birlikte farklı hayvanlara ait 61 adet hayvan kemiği tespit edilmiştir. Cemi-i Çeto insan popülasyonunda, 5 bebek, 45 çocuk, 26 kadın, 31 erkek ve 9 cinsiyeti tahmin edilemeyen birey bulunmaktadır. Bebek ve çocuk ölümleri toplumun %43,10’unu oluşturmaktadır. Toplumun boy ortalaması 164,01 cm’dir. Cemi-i Çeto hayvan kemikleri üzerinde yapılan analiz sonucunda köpek, tilki, koyun, keçi, sığır, at, tavşan ve kuş tespit edilmiştir. Bu kaya mezar içerisindeki çok sayıda insana ait kemiklerle birlikte karışık durumda tespit edilmiş çok az sayıda, fakat çeşitli türlere ait, hayvan kemiklerinin olması bölgedeki Geç Roma Dönemi ölü gömme gelenekleri hakkında yeni soru işaretleri ortaya koymaktadır.
This study presents the first bioarchaeological examination of human remains, accompanied by a small collection of zooarchaeological remains that were discovered during the 2019 archaeological excavations at Burial 6 in the Late Roman Cemi-i Çeto cave in Siirt-Kurtalan, Southeastern Turkey. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the population structure, biological distance, height, and way of life of the Late Roman community residing in Cemi-i Çeto. Furthermore, a comparative analysis was conducted between the Cemi-i Çeto and contemporary human populations from diverse Anatolian regions.
Human skeletal remains were analyzed in the Human Osteology Laboratory, while animal remains were examined at the Zooarchaeology Laboratory at Mardin Artuklu University in Turkey. Experts examined the skulls, mandibles, and hip bones to determine the sex of the human remains. To estimate the age of adult individuals, a complex aging method was employed, considering factors such as the eruption stages of deciduous and permanent teeth, epiphyseal fusion, and the length of long bones. For the age estimation of infants and children, the formulas proposed by Üner in 1972 were utilized for life table calculations. To estimate the height of the Cemi-i Çeto population, the formulas proposed by Pearson in 1899, Trotter and Gleser in 1952, and Sağır in 1994 were applied. The identification of animal bones was supported by modern reference collections available at the Zooarchaeology Laboratory of Mardin Artuklu University. To distinguish between goats and sheep, the criteria presented by Boessneck (1969) were used. The age of the cattle was estimated based on mandibular tooth wear, following the methods of Boessneck and von den Driesch in 1975 and Howell-Meurs in 2001 (p. 163). For age determination of sheep and goats, the criteria relied on epiphyseal fusion of postcranial elements, following Zeder in 2006. The age of horses and dogs was also determined based on epiphyseal fusion, following the criteria proposed by Silver in 1963 (p. 252).
A total of 116 individuals and a small assemblage (n = 62) of animal bones were identified. Within the Cemi-i Çeto human population, there were 4.31% infants, 38.79% children, 22.41% females, 26.72% males, and 7.75% individuals of unknown sex. Infant and child mortality together accounted for 43.10% of the population. The population comprised 30.17% young adults, 11.20% adults, and 4.31% elderly individuals. The average age of the adult individuals was 28.67 years. However, although there was a significant difference between the average ages of adult females (28.65 years) and adult males (30.37 years). The age groups ranging from 0 to 5 years and 5 to 10 years had the highest mortality rates within the Cemi-i Çeto population. The average height of the Cemi-i Çeto population was 164.01 cm. Notably, both females and males in Cemi-i Çeto surpassed the average height of middleaged populations in Anatolia. The Trotter-Glesser and Sagır’s height formulas have yielded compatible results for the Cemi-i Çeto population. According to these two methods, the average height of Cemi-i Çeto females exceeded the average height of Late Roman females in Anatolia by more than 2 cm, while the average height of Cemi-i Çeto males surpassed the average height of Late Roman males in Anatolia by more than 1.2 cm. Therefore, the taller stature of individuals in the Cemi-i Çeto population can be considered as an indicator of good health within their society.
Various species were identified from the small assemblage of 61 animal bones discovered in burial no. 6 at Cemi-i Ceto. These bones were scattered among a large number of human bones. The identified animal species include fox (Vulpes vulpes), dog (Canis familiaris), sheep (Ovis aries), goat (Capra hircus), cattle (Bos taurus), horse (Equus caballus), hare (Lepus europaeus), and various birds (Aves spp.). Among these, fox bones comprised the highest ratio at 35.14%, with 13 identified bones, whereas horse bones had the lowest ratio at 2.70%, consisting of only a complete radial bone. Notably, all these animal bones belonged to sub-adult to adult individuals, and no cultural marks were observed on any of these bones.
The burial tradition observed at Cemi-i Ceto shares similarities with burial traditions found at other sites, such as Gercus in Batman, Dara Ancient City, and Midyat Aktas in Mardin. These sites also exhibited a significant proportion of infant and child deaths, which is a trend observed in many other contemporary populations in Anatolia. It is likely that famines, possibly caused by periodic wars, have had an impact on children, who are often more vulnerable in such circumstances. However, despite these challenges, the overall health and nutritional status of the Late Roman population at Cemi-i Ceto does not seem to be worse off compared to many other contemporary populations in Anatolia. Their diet appeared to consist of a combination of plant and animal sources, with a significant emphasis on meat and grains. In contrast, the presence of joint diseases in the Cemi-i Ceto population can be attributed to physical activities.
